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HIGH SIERRA MUSIC FEST: BETTER EVERY YEAR

Aphrodesia in Vaudeville Tent by Susan J. Weiand

APHRODESIASex appeal clearly has a lot to do with an artist's successif that
weren't the case talentless hardbodies like lil miss Britney would never
make the megabucks. Taking this truism to heart, the 11 clever members of Aphrodesia
showed up to their Meadow Stage performance dressed down in revealing beachwear.
But this is a mixed band, not some mall-ready group of pinups. Even as the three
hot-pantsed female vocalists randied up the crowd, their allure was oddly balanced
by the shameless dudes in the rhythm section, all of whom were also sporting
teeny-weenie bikinis. It was almost as if they nullified each other, or more
accurately amplified each other, giving everyone in the audience some eye candy
to chew on.

Far less bare was their phenomenal set of heavy-swinging Afrobeat, culled from
original arrangements of traditional African folk and pop, Fela Kuti covers, and a few
odds and ends thrown in. One song in particular, with lead singer Lara Maykovich
settling into a sweet melody on mbira (African thumb piano), brought welcomed
rhythmic variety to Aphrodesia's upbeat party vibe, and showed these guys are
more than a bunch of pretty faces.

- Jonathan Zwickel

Aphrodesia in Vaudeville Tent by Susan J. Weiand

KAKI KING: BIG MEADOW

Kaki King by SuperDee

Believe it or not, I'd never heard of Kaki
King before her set. How I managed to miss out on this phenomenon is a
mystery to me, but in hindsight, I'm almost glad I'd never heard of her because
it made her set that much more enchanting. What she does with a single Ovation
guitar many four-piece bands can only dream of accomplishing. She slaps the
guitar with her palm to create beats and then has multiple bass lines going
underneath these hypnotic melodies. As I inched my way to the front, awe silencing
the packed field, this 24 year-old acoustic goddess gifted us beautiful renditions
of some of her new material off her soon to be released album Legs To Make
Us Longer. Truth be told, while she was playing, I couldn't help but daydream
about what would happen if she and Keller Williams had children.

- Monica Way

Dan Bern by The Kayceman

DAN BERN: VAUDEVILLE TENT
"I am the Messiah." -Dan
Bern. Damn right! At his midday Vaudeville set on Saturday everything came
together. Sure his Big Meadow set on Sunday was good, but it was dwarfed by
the connection he made with the tight knit crowd under the Vaudeville Tent.
I can't remember the last time I really cried in public. But when Dan
Bern speaks the gospel, and when it's really working, emotions take over
and to be honest, I didn't care, not one bit. Bern very well may be the greatest
lyricist we have, and his politics couldn't be more poignant and on spot. And
it wasn't just me. As I looked around people had tears in their eyes as they
smiled at the stage. Next to The Slip melting my late night, this was the pinnacle
of High Sierra for me. Songs like "Jerusalem" (do yourself a favor and read
the lyrics), "Alaskan Highway," Estelle," and the duet he pulled off with
Chris Chandler reading
poetry from his little black notebook were inspirational, emotional, and beautiful.
His storytelling, both in song and between compositions, is as good as any you
will find. The manner in which he draws each and every person into his world
is a gift that only the greatest performers are capable of. I could see Dan
Bern every night and never get sick of learning from him. Dan Bern is the Messiah,
don't forget it.

- The Kayceman

Mike Dillon and JJ "Jungle"
Richards by Susan J. Weiand

HAIRY APES BMX
Just in case you haven't been paying attention, Mike Dillon is a freak.
And I mean that in the best possible way. His band Hairy
Apes BMX is the perfect vehicle for Dillon to just let it ALL hang out.
With a heavy punk ethos and downright nasty instrumental capabilities, the Apes
are an energetic bunch that fears nothing on stage. With Dillon doing his best
Iggy Pop contortion moves and eventually diving off the top speaker into the
crowd, this had to be one of the most insane sets of the weekend. But it's not
all shtick or show, this band can play. When Dillon brought out the tabla and
welcomed three horns (Skerik, Houser, Cheme), and a few percussionists
(Jeffree Lerner, Joe Russo) to the mix the crowd was thumping with some
type of world Beastie Boys sound. Going from Eastern drum-led excursions to
D.C. go-go beats and more, this is one band that escapes classification. If you
think you can handle some serious heat and aggression, go move your ass with
Hairy Apes.